With the Univ. of Minnesota athletic department facing $75M in losses because of the coronavirus pandemic, three sports have "paid the ultimate price," as the school will "no longer sponsor men’s gymnastics, men’s tennis and men’s track and field," according to Megan Ryan of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Minnesota AD Mark Coyle said that this decision was "not only because of the COVID-19 financial strain but also for Title IX alignment." Coyle explained that in the past three years, the female undergraduate population "grew about 2-3%, so cutting the men’s programs helps the athletics department mirror the student enrollment that is 54% female." Ryan notes cutting sports will "save the department an expected" $2M in FY '22, with an annual savings of $2.7M once "all the athletes in those sports have graduated." The school also "announced the elimination of eight athletic department jobs" in addition to the "anticipated seven coaches cut" with their sports now discontinued. In all, 15 positions "have been severed." Coyle said that the department "hasn’t had any more discussions of having to cut other sports" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/11).
